I am a fan of big cats’ false eyes and love clicking as many pictures as possible when the cat is not looking towards the camera.
Little is known about a cat’s false eyes and their evolutionary significance. These eyespots are also common among insects, especially butterflies, and are called ocelli. George B. Schaller, in his book The Deer and the Tiger (Chicago University Press, 2009), hypothesised that eyespots of the tiger and other cats “function in intimidation since they are prominent during the attack threat. The conspicuous spots may also have signal value when tigers follow each other through dense vegetation. Except for the white spot on the back of each ear, the pelage of the tiger blends almost completely into its surroundings”. The paragraph then goes on to say that the markings possibly help cubs keep in contact with each other and their mother.
Be that as it may, I just think cats look fantastic even when they aren’t looking into the camera.
Location: Nagarahole National Park, Karnataka
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